Order's Child
by Crimson Fear
Summary: Cinos would give anything to rid himself from Cross. But after Order grants him his wish, he doesn't expect too much. But there may be more to Cross' history than meets the eye. Rated for violence and abuse. Review please!
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer.** Don't own Sonic, never will. I own all my OC's and one half of the story. Oh, and Super Sonic Chaos owns the second half, her characters Aeliran and Mylin, but she don't own Sonic either.

**Author's Note.** Heh, I'm back! With a newer, better story than before. To everyone who reviewed my previous stories don't worry; I'm working on continuing them soon. Enjoy!

* * *

_'What!'_

_'You can't escape…'_

_'Just leave me!'_

_'It's not like you care…'_

_'Darkness!'_

_'Farewell…'_

* * *

_Eyes slowly opened as the dream disappeared into the shadowy corners of his mind. It was always like this. The dream would repeat, over and over again in his unconsciousness, but as soon as **they** interfered it dashed back out of his reach, cackling, amused as he stumbled blindly through the few memories he had. It was there, he could feel it; he just couldn't grasp it fully._

_He looked over at his surroundings, noting that he was yet again in the stasis tank. It was settled, then. **They** were going to experiment. Not that it helped him in any kind of way, but he preferred the silence of the tank to his 'room.' Well, **they** called it that. To anyone else it was a reinforced cell, with no doors or windows, and chains at the far end. Well, **they** never usually put him in them anymore. **They **said that he was a 'good boy' and that he was 'progressing well.' Not that he liked the praise; but he found it better to not struggle when **they** took him out._

_Green fluid brushed against his fur, making him snap out of his reverie. He felt his quills gently touching against his back in a slow rhythm, while the sensors clung to his fur. It felt soothing against his body and his eyes slowly slid closed; nothing could hurt him while he was in here…_

_A sudden whirring got his attention, but he already knew what it was. His tank was emptying. **They** weren't leaving him in for as long now; he just wished he could sleep instead of go through that torture that he knew was awaiting him._

_'**They're** at it again?'_

_A sigh._

_'Can't they leave me in peace?'_

_Slowly, his body sank against the floor of the tube, his eyes firmly closed as the front swung up to reveal his small frame. He could feel crimson staining his fur as the green fluid sank into a drain to the side of him. He began to shake as the cold air stung into his wounds, but he dared not scream out. Two shadows fell across his body; their presence stilling him almost immediately. These were the ones who restrained him before** they **began the experiments. The only two who could pin him down easily…_

_Without any further notice, the two dragged him up by his arms until he felt that peculiar sensation of being lifted off the floor. His wings drooped down flat against his back, making a gentle dripping sound as the water rolled off them, hidden by his quills. His eyes slowly opened halfway, examining his all-too familiar torture chamber._

_It was made of pure steel, like any other room he was occupied in, and prevented him from using any attacks or healing himself. There was no actual door that he knew about; it was camouflaged so he couldn't escape or break it down. A triple-plated glass window was on the other side of the room, a single porcupine standing watching while No Level's scuttled around, checking to see if all the monitors were working. One caught his eye, and he prepared to growl in anger at him. He was surprised when the No Level gave him a sympathetic look and he returned a kinder one._

_The lead porcupine noticed the contact and snarled at the No Level, making him squeak and race off, before turning back, smirking, to him. A shiver raced down his spine and his breath instantly became ragged. This porcupine sent fear into his spine at every look. Those piercing orange eyes glared evilly at him, grinning maliciously at his pain._

_He looked back into the centre of the room, sudden light catching him off-guard. Of course, he already knew what it was… It was the table they used to experiment him on. There were cuffs to hold down his arms and legs, and a muzzle at the side just as precaution. He remembered the tightness and smell of burning rubber that silencer created; a smell that made tears prick at his eyes. Needles, shots and other utensils that he couldn't even name stood on a metal table next to it. A burning light shone overhead, adding to the pain and torture._

_He hissed angrily as the light reached his sensitive eyes, but no one cared to let him shield himself. The two guards still had him by the arms, dragging his limp form across to the table. He hissed again as instant cold hit his wounds. One of them smacked him across the face, silencing him instantly. Theporcupine on the other side of the glass waggled his finger to and fro in a schooling way, as if telling him to stop, which he did._

_Then there was the brief sensation of flight before he felt that cold metal hit against his back. He tried to stifle back a whimper as the sudden temperature irritated his wounds, but was only regarded with a quick fist in the face. The hit dazed him, but as soon as he began to shoot his mouth off about it, the muzzle and block of rubber was forced down his throat, silencing him completely._

_The two guards ripped off the sensors and wires covering his body mercilessly, snickering as he cried out after each rip. The places where they had been soon began to bleed, but no one cared to mop the blood up or ease the pain. **They** just watched and laughed as he cried out; it felt like **they** were slowly watching him die. He had known that feeling since the first day he had been created…_

_He gave a muffled scream as a white porcupine stepped up to the table, those orange eyes looking at him with a smug smile playing against his lips as he watched his creation's own eyes widen in fear. Even thought he was strapped to the table he instantly began struggling, trying to keep away from the metal utensil in the towering porcupine's hand. It was pointless though, and he knew it. He watched, few tears falling down his face, as the smirking one raised the utensil._

_The hit didn't hurt at first. He just stared, frozen, at the huge **thing** in his left arm. Nothing. Then a burning feeling began inside his skull, making him scream behind the muzzle. It shot down his body, making him thrash about, not caring that the guards were hitting him as hard as they possibly could, and that his body was making continual cracking noises at each hit. All there was was that awful feeling in his head and the numbness in his arms and legs. But what hurt the most was the continuous throbbing coming from the arm with the utensil shoved inside._

_His screaming stopped and his eyes widened in horror as he felt some kind of fluid beginning to sting right through his arm, giving him an unnatural feeling of pins and needles._

_'Wait a minute! Needles!'_

_The struggling began again as realization dawned on him. Something was being injected into his arm, and from the feeling of it, it wasn't likely to be good for him. The porcupine was laughing now; laughing at the pain it was causing him and he was useless to stop him. He kicked one of the guards in his struggling and was awarded with the instrument shoved further into his arm, and more of the stinging drug inside his body._

_The numbing feeling left him slowly, but was soon replaced by the worst feeling that he had ever had before. A burning feeling raced over his body, as if a large white-hot poker was shoved inside him. He cried out in pain as he got the distinct feeling of his fur burning off. The guards were holding him down even further now, so he couldn't even move an inch to counter. All around him, there was laughter. Laughter at the pain that **they **were giving him. Laughter at the fact he couldn't do anything and that there was worse torture planned._

_Then he noticed something. Something that he had never noticed before. His eyes blinked slowly as they fixed on his arm._

_He had silver fur…_

* * *

The white hedgehog shot up in his bed, the sopping blue and white comforter falling off him. Sweat raced down his body, making his fur stick together in small knots that were waiting patiently for a comb to be put through them. He wiped his forehead, panting heavily as the dream replayed back in his mind. How could he have been scared so easily by something created by his wandering mind? 

True, he had had dreams like this before. Well, more recently than usual. Mostly, it concerned some form of torture, and that white porcupine…

A shudder ran over his body.

For some reason that scientist scared him more than any Chaos Creature ever could and he had no clue why. He knew for a fact that he had never seen that porcupine before, so why did he feel as if he was terrified of him? An ungloved hand rubbed the spot where the horrific instrument had previously been, shuddering has he relived the pain brought by it. But it was just a dream and, like all dreams, wasn't real.

The white hog laid back in the bed, the now dry mattress offering comfort to his troubled mind. And then there was the fact that he had silver fur…

Could it be that… that monster was trying… to tell him something?

Royal blue eyes watched absent-mindedly as a shooting star shot across the sky from his window above him. The sky was clear, the bright full moon reflecting the sun's rays perfectly. It was going to be dawn soon; he could tell from the small sliver of navy at the far end of the sky. He yawned and closed his white eyelids, knowing that it would be much easier if he slept on it and told a certain someone about it tomorrow…

What he failed to notice was the tiny red mark situated on his left arm…

**RR**

**NO FLAMES**


	2. The Choice

**Disclaimer.** Don't own Sonic, never will. I own all my OC's and one half of the story. Oh, and Super Sonic Chaos owns the second half, her characters Aeliran and Mylin, but she don't own Sonic either.

**Author's Note.** Hope you liked the last chapter. Things will get a little bit clearer for everybody in this one, considering the last one was a bit shady. And Aeliran is in this one too. Enjoy!

* * *

Light filtered in through the blue curtains, reverberating across the faded peach walls of a certain white hedgehog's room. It travelled along blue and white sheets, determined to find the captive sleeper. The morning sun found its goal as the hedgehog stirred ever so slightly, before rolling over away in irritation. After the unexpected awakening the night before, he had slept like a log, his head dreamless and empty. But the light was persistent, and in time a slit of blue appeared in the white as he sat up, sighing in defeat.

An ungloved hand quickly intervened, pressing against his face as he remembered the dream once more, as clearly as if he had watched it yet again. It was unusual and somehow uncomfortable; the white hog knew it could not be right to have that in his mind. Who was that white porcupine… why did he feel so scared just while thinking about him… and could this have anything to do with—

**Him.**

It was then that he realised the sudden niggling at the back of his mind, normally identified as his 'alter' had dulled down to a silent moan. He closed his eyes, concentrating, to find any sign of him fighting his consciousness. Nothing, just the silence pressing in against him, like any other person would have. 'Alter's' presence was there; he felt it all the time, but he was being so still, it was nerve racking.

The hog shook his head, clearing his mind for the day ahead. It would do no good to dwell on the strange behaviour of that maniac right now. He would speak to his friend about it later. He knew Aeliran, the Emerald Warrior, would be able to solve it. After all he was an 'alter' himself.

He rolled out of his bed, landing easily with the help of his ankle-wings. Blue and green sneakers were quickly thrown over his bare feet; gloves the same sapphire colour pulled onto his hands. The hog stepped up to the mirror in the far corner of the room, blue eyes searching for any kind of difference.

To anyone at first glance, he was a regular white hedgehog, with quills drooping back just the same as our favourite blue hero. Light tanned skin appeared over his chest, stomach, muzzle and arms, blending perfectly into the white colour. The only difference was the four wings on his elbows and ankles, and sometimes the four wings drooping down his back.

His name was Cinos the Hedgehog.

Cinos pulled back his deep blue curtains, taking a deep breath as the 12am sun shone over his white body. It revitalized him to no end; maybe he would go out for a walk sometime later. Unlike Sonic and most of the other hedgehog's here, he could not run at supersonic speed. But he didn't mind much; what would be the point of wishing for something you know will never come true?

Figuring that there was no point wasting any more of the day, the white hog allowed his green and blue sneakers to take him downstairs and into the living room. It was like any other living room. Two sagging couches, an armchair and a wide screen TV sat in the centre of the room, a cream carpet trapped underneath them. A mantelpiece stood in the corner, loaded with jewellery, remotes and other random things that should've been upstairs. There were only three other people in the room, but only two acknowledged his presence. But then, who would expect our favourite blue hero to have any control over his senses with fifty chilli dogs on a plate in front of him.

The other two were Rouge and Mylin. Mylin was a yellow hedgehog and Keeper of the Emerald Warrior. Aeliran's former partner that had died at the hand of a rogue Chaos Creature. His spirit had been granted freedom after Aeliran had visited him in the Spirit World. After, he decided to make himself at home at Emerald Manor and everyone approved.

Cinos walked over to them, smirking slightly as Sonic shovelled yet another chilli dog into his wide-open mouth and doing whatever he could to slurp as loudly as possible. Mylin smirked at his tousled quills and the sleep residing within his blue eyes.

"You're getting lazier and lazier by the day, Cinos. One day you'll wake up and wonder why it's still dark!" Mylin joked, pointing at Cinos' sleepy face.

Rouge smirked at Mylin's comment and quickly turned to thumping Sonic's back as he began choking on a chilli dog in laughter. Cinos grinned sheepishly, but inside he wore the biggest frown possible. The reason behind the late awakening was because of those strange dreams and he only wanted to speak to his Emerald Warrior friend about it. Speaking of him…

"Hey, do you know where Aeliran is?" Cinos asked, more to Mylin than anyone else.

"Umm… Actually, I _don't_ know where he went… He just got up and left without saying anything. I'm sure you'll be able to track him though," the spirit replied with a wink.

Cinos nodded. Of course he would, after all he had tracked him before… Royal blue eyes closed as he concentrated, feeling the teleportation process wash over him. It took more concentration than normal, considering that he normally used 'alter' as leverage. But in the end, he pressed through and opened his eyes to a whirl of multi-coloured light.

It was like a vortex, the colours mingling and washing over each other in an endless tube of darkness, only lit up by his own two eyes. But there was no time for dwindling about watching the swirling patterns all day. If he didn't find out the place where Aeliran was and teleport there, he could be trapped in the vortex forever! Cinos closed his eyes, his face creasing in concentration as he imagined his friend. It was only a matter of time before a flash of a familiar scene came up in front of him.

'_Misty Lake,_' his mind told him, triggering the warp.

He felt that sudden tightness press in against his body before shooting down the shaft at speeds even greater than Sonic's, the colours becoming just a smear against his eyes, forcing him to close them. It was so fast, that he could actually hear the constant screaming as he travelled through miles of land area. And then the pressure was lifted off of him like a weight on his back, allowing him to tumble onto the fair grassland of Misty Lake.

* * *

The white one groaned slightly, dragging himself up and rubbing his sore muscles. That warp had really taken it out of him this time, and as his 'alter' was still dormant, he couldn't transfer some energy out of him. He froze as a very intimidating growl reached his ears. Blue eyes looked up at the scene and gasped.

Five or six masked strangers, all holding large weapons of some kind, had their eyes on him. They wore all black clothing, with cloaks to match, but it did not keep their species hidden. The one on the right was definitely a fox, and that one, the one at the very back was most certainly a squirrel. But all had eyes on him. Then, after a minute the one in front, a hedgehog of some kind, grunted and turned back to the figure standing underneath the huge willow tree.

It was Aeliran of course, and he seemed a bit shocked that Cinos had managed to warp to him. But with a quick shake to the head, his crimson eyes went back to the five enemies. The great waterfall roared its battle cry, stopping as it reached the lake the place got so famous for. It was no doubt that the six were going to fight. Five against one seemed a bit unfair, but Aeliran was a Warrior. _The_ Warrior. Even the opposition knew he could swat them down like flies if he wanted to.

The white hog's friend was a golden hedgehog, his quills upturned to the sky like Super Sonic. But then, he _was_ Super Sonic. When he wasn't angry he was Aeliran. A green pendant hung around his neck, gleaming brightly as the sun reached its core. Phoenix wings sprouted from his back, half open and feathers jutting out in an intimidating manner.

The warrior's crimson eyes blazed, watching as the five advanced on him. Cinos stepped beside him, face set and ready for battle. The fox smirked behind his black suit.

"Heh. So the kid wants to play, huh?"

Cinos growled. If there was one thing he hated more than his 'alter' it was someone calling him kid. He resented it. Maybe he was young, and most probably younger than them, but he had seen the world a lot more. The white one dropped into a fighting stance, showing off his white canines. Aeliran seemed a bit amused that the younger one thought he stood any chance at taking them on.

"Cinos I can handle it—"

"You're going to regret _ever_ calling me kid!" then to Aeliran, "We fight together, got it?"

Knowing that he wouldn't get anywhere by trying to get Cinos to leave, he just nodded, dropping into his own fighting stance. A storm cloud quickly appeared, signalling that Cinos was calling upon his element to do his bidding for him. Aeliran just flipped his dagger into his hand, holding it in a defensive position.

It was only after a few seconds that the four cronies jumped on Aeliran. He dodged, swinging his dagger round and piercing the fox. A part of his material tore off, revealing purple fur, not even out of place. But a quick punch in the throat felled the little bushy-tailed enemy. A leopard came up from behind on the phoenix-winged hog, grabbing him around the throat. Aeliran easily gripped the others wrist and, in a quick turning motion had floored him and sunk the dagger into the leopard's stomach. Crimson blood ran over the grass blades as Aeliran swiftly kicked the body to the squirrel, which front flipped out of the way and punched the golden one in the face.

Aeliran took the hit and smirked as the blood ran down his muzzle. Then, he disappeared. The squirrel looked around wildly, trying to work out where he had got. A swift kick in the back of the head gave him all he needed to know as he rolled forward, turning around and slashing Aeliran with his sword. He looked at the blade, trying to find any kind of blood. There was none. With wide eyes, he watched as Aeliran raised the blade and brought it swinging down onto him. He was dead even before he hit the ground.

Cinos had been watching it all with wide blue eyes, not believing how skilled Aeliran was. Each move easily flowed into the next as Aeliran took advantage of his prey; something that Cinos had never tried. But then, he had his electricity, and with that he was invincible, powerful, he was a _God_. He watched as the hedgehog… thing… stepped up to him, a large smirk playing behind the mask. Cinos just shot two electric orbs into his hands.

With wide eyes he watched as a metre-long sword was drawn from its hilt, not a single scratch on the blade.

"Okay, little Neutral. Let's play!"

The hedgehog creature advanced towards Cinos, his sword out and ready to go. The younger one quickly shot his orbs, their forms rapidly changing into two spear-like objects, electricity flowing through them. But Cinos' triumphant smirk faded into pure horror as the creature easily slashed through them, negating the energy back into his palms. Then, the thing attacked.

If it weren't for his quick energy shield, Cinos would've been sliced into tiny pieces even before he realised he was. But he couldn't help but throw a taunting smirk as his enemy as he tried feebly to break his barrier. The sword came swinging down against the electric barrier, not even cutting the first layer of the wall. Cinos concentrated hard, getting ready for the release of the energy he knew he would have to use in order to win. The creature slashed out at him and he knew it was time.

Cinos screamed as the sword hit against the barrier, using his powers to force the other one away. Electricity danced over the shield, cloaking his body in tiny sparks. Bolts lunged down at him from the sky as it slowly began to darken. Then, as a huge bolt smacked down against the barrier, the energy lashed out, flying from its originator and hitting the masked figure in the face.

He landed on the floor, the sparks making him shake and crimson staining his cloak. Cinos watched him, panting heavily as he clutched his right arm. He felt the blood race down to hit the battlefield, not quite believing it. He had been hit… but the shield was still locked over him. He couldn't have… The white hog thought back to the dream, of the utensil in his right arm… No… That was a dream… Wasn't it??

Aeliran had the bat by the throat, watching as he screamed; the warrior increased pressure on his neck. Blood raced down the bat's body, and large gashes covered his. With one swipe he threw him on the grass, not even bothering to kill him anymore. Aeliran walked over to Cinos and the enemy, who was busy panting on the grass as the electric charge went through him. One nod from the Emerald Warrior, and Cinos let up the charges, stepping towards the enemy. Aeliran raised his dagger high--

"No, stop!" a muffled voice cried, as the hedgehog creature stood up.

Aeliran glanced at Cinos before lowering the dagger, watching with wary eyes as the creature pulled off his suit. Cinos gasped.

The creature wasn't a hedgehog, he was a porcupine! Long quills raced down his head and spine, parting as angelic wings hung limply against him. But that wasn't why Cinos had gasped; he knew from those evil orange eyes. He was the porcupine from his dream.

"You shot first, Warrior," he stated, before throwing his blade down onto the grass.

Aeliran nodded; apparently not ready to apologize to the porcupine yet. But then, that was Aeliran. He never trusted people straight away; at least that's the impression he gave people. Crimson and blue eyes watched as the porcupine stepped over to them. No… he stepped up to Cinos more than Aeliran.

"I came to offer you a proposition," the porcupine said, his orange eyes drilling a thick hole through royal blue ones.

Cinos looked to Aeliran, who still looked at the porcupine. Everyone was silent, apart from the thundering roar of the waterfall. The white hog nodded, allowing the orange-eyed one to continue. Cinos froze as the porcupine moved forward until he was standing chest-to-chest, whispering in his ear. The sudden contact made his stomach jolt, although he knew it wasn't him. It was 'alter'

"I know of that monster that lurks within your dormant mind… He has tortured you day and night… I know of what you wish for… Release of him… I can give you that release…"

The porcupine stepped back, noting Aeliran's sharp gaze. Cinos doubted whether Aeliran hadn't heard; after all, his ears were advanced beyond anything Cinos knew. But knowing or not, it didn't change what the porcupine said. He looked down as a pebble was pushed into his hand.

"I see you aren't ready to confirm yet. Chant the chant of Order into the pebble and I shall come and hear your choice. Farewell for now."

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

_Cautious eyes opened halfway, the pain of last night's torture stinging him harshly. They picked up on an all steel room with no doors; a cat flap stood in the farthest corner of the room, obviously for food. Again, there was a triple-plated glass window at the side of the room, this time for observation. Chains hung off the wall, their insides coated with dried blood; his blood. He shuddered. This was his room… his cell…his prison._

_It was actually quite a blessing, to be on his own for a while and not have those orange eyes burning into his fearful ones. He looked down, noting the wounds from the previous night, some still dripping with fresh blood. The mark from the utensil was one of them. After a few minutes he realized he still had those annoying sensors stuck to his fur. That meant… he was going to be 'observed.' He looked down at the floor sadly._

'_They can't even leave me alone for just a few minutes…'_

_All of his clothes had been stripped of him, the loss of his trainers disabling his ability to run. That was a clever tactic that only his creator would have thought up. It also meant that before the end of the day, one of them was going to be coming into his cell. He shuddered. If that monster with those flashing eyes came in, all options would be off. Anyone else and he would've escaped long before then… But not with him around…_

_The cat flap opened ever so slightly, a large parcel being shoved through it. His eyes checked over it cautiously, before kneeling down and unwrapping it. His eyes widened and breathing caught in his throat as he touched the smooth surface. His rocket boots… They were the exact same as 'Project: Shadow's' but had been upgraded on the rockets. Gloveless fingers touched the bottom, his breath shuddering as he studied the familiar objects. How long since he had seen them._

_Suddenly, a jolt went right through his body, shooting pain through every blood vessel in his racked body. It floored him instantly, tears coming into his already pained eyes. True, he was not affected by electric shocks, but this pain raced into his very core, through his own bloodstream. From last night. That was what the drug was for…_

_His eyes shot open as a single word raced through his mind, looking as clear as if he had just read it off the floor._

'_RUN'_

_Fear pelted through his mind, freezing his limbs. It was the porcupine; he knew it. Only he, with those menacing eyes, could create such a fear such as this. Immediately, his rocket boots were shoved on his feet and he pelted around the room. A faint smile ran across his muzzle. He loved the feeling, of travelling at high speeds such as this. It was forgotten that this was even a test; he was running, something he had never done in years._

_But the fond memories of galloping across the training fields were dashed as another word streaked through his troubled mind. It was so painful, it was only because of his quick footing and urging will that he didn't fall again._

'_FASTER'_

_He immediately began running faster, the sonic boom he created temporarily deafening him. The speed was now faster than super-sonic speed. But still he pushed on, his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming out in sharp breaths. Still, the pain shot down his body. He felt close to collapsing but shook it off. If he kept this up, he might not have to endure torture. Might…_

_He couldn't go any faster, he knew. It was impossible. But that familiar feeling of pain took over him as another dose of electricity shocked through his drugged body._

_'FASTER.'_

_He pressed forward, cold sweat racing over him, his quills sticking up unnaturally. Inside, he knew it was pointless. They were testing his abilities, and were deliberately squeezing it out of him. Breaking him down for the torture. Then, his stomach dropped as he felt his feet give way from under him. He couldn't stop either! He hit the metal floor hard and fast, panting hard as he felt the blood race along his chest._

_The burning feeling returned, this time twice as hard. It was urging him to get up; to begin running again. But as hard as he tried, it was no luck. The blood ran all over his chest, his nose beginning to flood as well. He coughed up blood, feeling the bile reach the back of his throat. But as soon as he went just about to release hit, his mind was pressed back and he was knocked unconsciousness from the blood loss._

* * *

Cinos shot up from his sleep yet again, the sweat dripping off of him. His quills stuck up at an odd angle as he threw his legs over the edge of the bed, pushing up onto his feet. The hedgehog wobbled ever so slightly, before leaning against the wall. Strange… it actually felt as if he _had_ ran those laps of the cell. A quick shake of the head as he travelled up to face the mirror. Royal blue eyes widened in horror as he noticed a mark on his left arm.

He hissed at his reflection, before storming over to the pebble he had gotten off the porcupine. This was the last straw. He knew his 'alter' was making him have these dreams and making him hurt himself to freak him out. Just a practical joke. But that orange-eyed Order could help him. He could rid him of that… that… _demon._ He gently whispered the chant of Order into it and waited patiently.

_'Why does he have to torment me! As if I'm just the jester in his courtroom! Well not anymore!'_

There was a flash of white light and yet again, the porcupine stood, those orange eyes on him. Silence filled the room and a wash of fear went over Cinos. He fought back, knowing full well it was 'alter' messing with his head. Blue eyes watched, satisfied as the porcupine stepped forward.

"I see your mind is made up… Would you care to grace me with your answer?"

The Order's voice was smooth and royal, like a King addressing his son. Cinos swallowed the saliva in his mouth. He knew it was 'alter', but he was beginning to think against the matter of separating. It had already been shown that he depended on Order for most of his battles; what would happen if they split? The hog shook his quilled head, shaking off the feeling of that stupid 'alter.' He had to get rid of the one that ruined his life…

"I… I choose…"

**R R**

* * *

**Author's Note.** Hee hee! Cliffie! This… took… me… _ages_! Read and review! 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer.** Don't own Sonic, never will. I own all my OC's and one half of the story. Oh, and Super Sonic Chaos owns the second half, her characters Aeliran and Mylin, but she don't own Sonic either.

**Author's Note.** Okay, I take back what I said… The last chapter _was not _clear. I think this chapter won't be either. It's a shady story this… But I don't want anyone to be e-mailing me anything. If people want to review, review on FanFic/DA and not straight to me. For I have been getting graphic pictures and I'm not pleased. But thank you to the people who reviewed with kind words. Anyway, Read and Review!

* * *

_'Sir'_

_No answer._

_'Umm, Sir?'_

_Still silent._

_'Sir!'_

_He broke out of his thoughts as the purple squirrel touched him on the arm. The quick contrast of white to dark lilac was like night to day; you could see it as quickly as it happened. He pulled away from the contact almost immediately, glaring at the squirrel, his teeth bared. It jumped and squeaked, muttering apologies under its breath._

_He didn't answer, smoothing back his long quills and ruffling his angelic wings slightly. Wings of his status were deemed pure Order and were not to be trifled with. The other's were No Levels and showed no sign of power whatsoever. Mere workers for his hive. His eyes looked back to the squirrel, more in a questioning manner than a maddened one._

_'Umm… you may want to take a look at this, Sir…' the squirrel mumbled, pointing an index finger at one of the many computers in the room._

_He advanced towards it; it's screen's uninvited gaze shining dimly in the already lit room. Eyes glanced coldly at the fox sitting in the computer chair. It's eyes widened in terror and it jumped off, allowing him to sit down. Even without saying thank you, he sat, drawing the chair forwards. His eyes looked at the screen and at the results below._

_It showed a range of charts and computer text, some already decoded. His face creased as he tried to figure out what it all meant. He watched as the fox pointed a finger at the charts._

_'According to this chart, our Project's brainwaves have been showing signs of enhanced skill and speed since we entrapped him –'_

_"It… our Project is an 'it,' nothing more. He is not worthy to be classed as one of us, and so you shall not speak of him as one of us. Is that clear, No Level?'_

'_Umm… yes, Sir…This will allow us to observe it further and see if we can… make a few changes to it -'_

_'You mean break it down further?'_

_'…Yes, Sir…'_

_He looked back up at the fox, which was stood, his eyes fixed on the screen. A small growl ran from his throat before he turned back to the monitor. The mouse roved across to another open window, this time showing some complicated text._

_'What of this?' he added, circling the text with the cursor._

_'This block of text is what we have discovered in its memory patterns. How often it dreams about us, what it has learnt… Things like that.'_

_Eyes half-glared at the fox accusingly, grabbing his wrist. His nails cut into the other one's skin, making the fox gasp._

_'I can't help but notice that everything that you are showing me has resulted only in its mind.'_

_The No Level gulped, a bead of sweat racing down his left cheek. It openly shook, stumbling over its words._

_'Well umm… Sir, you see… uh…we can only access his - I mean, its… mind patterns right now… umm… we'll need to go and retrieve physical information manually… Uh, I'm sorry, Sir…'_

_His eyes bore a hole into the other one's, before letting him go._

_'So be it. Continue with the tests and alert me when he awakens. No one goes in or gets out.'_

_He stood, his cloak flowing fully as he walked towards the triple-plated glass. The No Levels parted, whimpering as his eyes looked straight ahead. He stopped, looking through the smooth, clear glass, his gloves resting on the metal tabletop. His eyes narrowed as he locked onto the still silver figure suspended in the air by metal cuffs._

_'Sleep well, little Bio-Hog… For I want to be the one to see you when you awaken.'_

* * *

The young Mobian pulled his ragged cloak over his torn and equally frail body, his head drawn down in utter despair. Many people passed, glancing at him, before hurriedly working on their way, not daring to stare at the hideous thing that could not deserve the word hedgehog. He watched them, golden eyes always watching as his prey passed before him; so vulnerable, so simple to kill… No, he had to fight against it. Open attacks in Station Square had been attempted before, and the consequences of his actions drove him out of the only good food supply for miles. It was a wonder he managed to sneak into the great city at all, after being labelled 'potential threat' to the humans.

A train pulled up at the station he was sat at, the doors sliding open with a hiss, teasing him with warmth and the delicious scent of food. He licked his long protruding fangs, aching for a decent meal. But his other side told him that it wasn't worth the risk of being thrown onto the tracks like last time. He huddled back into his cloak, watching as with another hiss the train doors slammed shut in his face and the train departed. He watched it leave, his eyes narrowing, feeling blood pulsing through the gums near his fangs. He needed to feed so badly, every human that stepped past him made his lips slowly part, begging for a taste.

He tried not to think of his savagely tattered ear and arm; neither did he try to allow the occurrence and terror that had consumed him the past half-hour slip into his mind.

The human's blows were brutal, their knives cutting his tender flesh, and tearing him apart. Blood flowed from the gashes they laid on him, the vicious stab of his metallic earring used against him. Their clashes were rabid as they tore at his once sleek coppery-gold fur, like mere wild animals. Now that same fur was heavily caked with blood… but not his. The pain they forced him to endure lead to their demise as the hunger consumed him. A shiver ran up his spine as he remembered sinking his fangs through their flesh. No, he didn't feed off them; he would never feed off the idiots that dared to trifle with him.

"Zeka Reo'n T'lia?"

The hedgehog's ears perked up, his name beating through them and hitting his eardrum on the night air. Golden pupils hinted with red rose from the ground, looking around wildly for the sign of the person that dared speak the name he didn't want to hear again. Nothing… The coppery furred one looked back down to the ground, feeling his wounds ache once more. He hoped he fainted from blood loss, but no – it would be too easy for that wouldn't it? Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands lightly rest on his shoulders and a blindfold was swiftly shoved over his eyes; his pupils stared right through the fabric, wide in fear. And that was the second he panicked.

The once composed hedgehog was reduced to wild animalistic behaviour. Twisting, turning, kicking, scratching, not allowing the… creature… to take hold of him; his vocal cords were in uproar as he screamed and screamed, pleading for anyone to help him. But the sun had finished setting and neither human nor train stumbled upon the unkempt hedgehog. Claws lashed out as he felt the creature grab his arms, tightening until sharp, elongated nails dug into already broken flesh, causing waves of pain to go through him. Then, a voice, one that made his blood turn cold for apparently no reason at all.

"Subject found. Located in Station Square Train Station. Attempting to neutralize. Require backup immediately."

It was most definitely a feminine voice and a deadly one at that; it reminded him of a snake. It also seemed that she was talking down an earpiece… And he was the subject. The copper one thrashed about in any way possible, trying to get away as he heard heavy boots on the metal floor of the train station. Here was her 'backup,' and the only thing that flashed through his mind were huge men with _huge_ tranquillisers and other weapons. Of course, this only made the Mobian struggle all the more, the woman still pressing down hard on his wounds, making him hiss in protest. The pain was worse than that of the humans. The heavy boots stopped behind him, and then, voices again.

"Is the subject unwilling to comply?"

"Affirmative. Neutralizing him will be harder a challenge than we thought."

"Well we shall make him."

"Hold him down while I acquire the narcotic."

'_Narcotic!' _screamed his panicked mind, and instant struggling began again, but this time with a purpose.

He had almost forgotten that he had taken his earring-needle out of his ear and set it in his cloak pocket… Now if only he could get one arm free he would be able to grab it and most likely rip out the attacker's neck before they had a chance to retaliate. Rough hands grabbed him, one pair at his arms and the other pressing him against the bench, not allowing him to twist around and run. But that wasn't what the hedgehog was planning, as he just as suddenly went limp in their arms. Silence, then:

"He complied?"

"Hmm, best to back off, but watch him. You know how these succubus vermin act; always sneaky they are…"

'_Hehe, sneaky is right…'_ the copper one thought, letting his hand wander down almost casually to his pocket. His ear twitched slightly, hearing someone rummaging through a bag but he didn't care much. The men didn't seem to notice either, but he listened to them as they talked.

"You know, the boss has been looking for this one for a while."

His hand slipped down, hidden by the material of his cloak…

"Yeah, he's almost obsessed with watching him. I'm not sure why, but he's more interested in this one than his toy."

The same hand sneakily slid into his pocket…

"You're right, I heard that he's been seen just staring at him on a night at that computer screen. Suppose this mission was inevitable."

It fumbled around slowly, searching for the needle…

"Hey, do you think that he wants him for --."

The hand closed around the prize, grasping the end and keeping it poised in his iron-grip.

"Shut it, you two, and keep it shut. Your babbling is driving me crazy. What the Master wants with this runt is none of our concern. Now, keep him held down, I'm going to --."

But the woman never got to finish her sentence as with lightning speed he jumped up, expertly coiling round like a cobra as he brought his hand and needle up. The hedgehog had heard enough of the conversation to know exactly where the men were. With speed that no normal hedgehog could acquire, he ran at the first guy, slipping to the side for a second to ram the earring-needle right through his attackers stomach. He growled in hunger as he almost heard the lining of stomach pierce, and the spatter of blood on metal. Lips parted again, absolutely famished, but they closed in protest. Just like the humans that attacked him before, he would not feed on someone with such dirty blood.

Then, just as he was celebrating his victory, a vicious fist in the stomach told him he had hesitated too long. Perfect, now the hunger was taking control of him far too much for him to kill too many people. Another hit floored him, his spines beginning to rise as he curled up, tears already welling into the corners of his eyes. His hands gripped his stomach tightly, pain gripping at him like never before. The man who had attacked him nudged him with a foot.

"Cunning little rat, aren't you."

A hiss was the only thing back, but he was rewarded with a harsh kick to his exposed ribs. Tutting was heard from the woman.

"Now, now, be nice," that feminine said, raising her voice slightly so it could be heard above the clink of glass.

Whatever it was, he didn't like the sound of it. Boots clanked round the bench, more sounds of glass following. The copper-furred once shivered as he heard the woman stop behind him, almost seeing her shadow fall across him. Whatever kind of glass it was, he knew it was for him. Then, he heard the man chuckle.

"Yes, I'm sure I can live with that."

Then, quicker than he could have ever thought, a cloth was shoved over his nose, and he instantly smelt the chemicals through the fibres. Instant struggling began, but the woman gripped his shoulder, pushing him down into the metal floor. And of course, his arms were also pushed down towards the floor, crushed by his stomach. That only left his legs, but what good would that do when the woman had shifted to his side. His head shook, trying to get the dreaded thing off him, but to no avail. The woman showed strength that could even hold him down, and the cloth tightened around his sensitive nose.

He could feel it beginning to take affect and he desperately tried to stay as conscious as possible. Struggling desperately, his golden eyes began to slowly slide closed; muscles relaxed and so did the grip of his attackers, letting him slip into the woman's lap. A hand began to stroke his quills, calming him further. And then, the voice began again, in a whisper.

"Master will be pleased with you, just you wait…"

That was the last thing he heard before the narcotic kicked in, plunging him into the blackened depths of unconsciousness.

* * *

Golden eyes slowly opened, wincing as harsh light hit him. He hissed faintly, feeling completely drained of all natural abilities. It hurt to move, to look, even breath, but he wasn't sure why. Nothing could be re-called, apart from being at a train station for some odd reason. The quarrel with his Father was clear to him, as was the army that was on his trail. But where he was now…

He scanned the area, fighting against the dull throbbing as his eyes moved. After that, he wished he hadn't. Pitch black, in every direction, apart from the lantern swinging above him, it's harsh light glaring down upon him like his arithmetic teacher when he was back at the Reserve. From what he could tell the room was so low in height that it could only barely manage to fit an adult Mobian inside it. A shiver travelled up his spine; this reminded him of his old life. The short life before the Reserve. And that was the life he wanted to forget above all.

Suddenly, his eyes averted as a small sliver of light appeared between the darkness. He could just about see a silhouette of a Mobian before the darkness caved in again. No problem for him though. With a slight change of the eyes they became just as keen as a cat's; his pupils shrunk a great deal until the darkness became a swirling black ocean, and like the Red Sea parting for Moses, the Mobian stepped through it as if he were God. Truly, this individual was both strong and powerful.

Eyes snapped back to normal as the Mobian stepped into the light and revealed itself. Pure white, cleaner than snow itself, with a navy cape pulled around him. An incredibly lean body was completely visible though; obviously this one had spared no time in getting himself in top shape. He stared into those orange pupils, watching those long quills flow around that pale face. A porcupine, that was for certain. A porcupine that had now reached his hand out and began to stroke his muzzle…

"W-h-wh-o…. a-are… yo-u…?" his voice was broken, definitely a sign of being drugged, but he couldn't remember anything like that happening.

The porcupine smirked, a flash of clear white fang matching his fur. Still that hand brushed against his muzzle, but he was too tired to shake it off.

"Depends on who you are. Some people call me Sir, others, Professor."

His voice was soft, unnaturally so, and it had the same tone in it as his Keeper at the Reserve. And that was the one that was supposed to be his Father…

"W-w-hat… d-d-d'you wan….t."

Still a broken voice, but he didn't care anymore. His golden pupils watched as the porcupine leaned in, still smirking. He reached his ear, so close that as he talked his lips brushed against the inside.

"What do I want, hm?"

A quick nuzzle started to his ear before moving back, stilling him in shock. Only the Keeper at the Reserve did _that _to him.

"Well, you'll just have to find out."

* * *

"Ugh…"

It was the first thing the white one uttered as his mind began to slowly slip back to reality. For that was all he _could _say, given the appalling feeling all through his body. It felt as if someone had got him insanely drunk before taking off an arm and a leg. The last time he felt something so bad, he was strapped to a chair watching a den of demon's fight over who took a bite out of him first. Not a very happy feeling, he knew for a fact.

He knew almost exactly where he was and what happened to make him as bad as any hangover could, he just was too utterly tired to think of anything other than the throbbing inside his head. Groggy was another thing that he was feeling. Splitting sure wasn't as much a good idea as he thought. Maybe a touch too painful for his liking. And as he began to feel further, something shocked him most of all. He cried out in the bizarreness of it all. His mind seemed so empty, as if someone had taken a literal chunk out of it. It felt like… like the equivalent of someone taking away a limb…

"Cinos, Cinos, wake up!"

A voice. Slightly familiar, like he knew that voice all too well, but his mind just couldn't seem to grasp anything properly. Then another one, this one much more adolescent.

"Come on, man, don't die on us!"

This time, he opened his eyes. Royal blue in colour, but dull for certain, he looked at the three crouched over him in turn. By the time he had finished studying the third one, he knew who they were all right. Aeliran, Mylin and Sonic; Warrior, Keeper and Blue Boy; his near enough _brothers_. And here they all were, with the same looks of concern on their faces, which quickly broke out into relieved smiles. The white one blinked as all three breathed a sigh of relief.

'Must've been real worried…' 

Hesitantly, he tried moving into a sitting position, just to test how fine he was. The Super-Sonic look-a-like beside him shook his head, willing him to lie back down.

"Stay down, you caught your torso on the bedside table when you fell. Don't worry, Mylin's working on it," Aeliran informed him.

And indeed he was. The hedgehog could feel Mylin's now ungloved hand on his chest, the power of Healing going through his body and setting to work on the wound. Sonic made a noise and Cinos turned those striking blue eyes to lock onto his emerald ones.

"We just walked in and found you passed out on the floor. You looked dead! What happened?"

Cinos coughed, buying some time to think of an answer. He couldn't tell his friends what _really_ happened. Doing that would mean explaining _everything_ about _him_ and that strange Order porcupine. And he really didn't want that evil demon coming back to haunt him when he had spent so long trying to get rid of him. More coughing ensued, trying to make it as natural as possible while his mind thought fast. Suddenly he stopped, an answer crossing his mind.

"- I went to the bathroom last night, then made my way back here. Uhh… Must've tripped over something and hit my head… Yeah, that's right…"

He watched their faces, praying that they would buy it. Sonic, as predicted, took the bait and grinned, showing he understood Cinos' predicament. Aeliran though… Well, he didn't seem so sure. His crimson eyes stared deep into his blue ones, as if penetrating them and searching for the truth. After a second he looked away… Unconvinced, but not going to say anything. That was good. But then an awkward silence began…

Mylin pulling his hands away and clapping them together to get his patient's attention, as he was beginning to doze off, soon broke it.

"All done!"

White quills bounced vaguely as he nodded, thanking the Keeper with a warm smile. Then, sitting up, he experienced a wave of stiffness in his chest, but that was normal; any wound that was healed had to feel at least a little bit taut at one point right? He would never know; he had never experienced wounds that needed healing manually before. Still, he attempted to get up, willing his legs to respond to his actions. They felt unnaturally like jelly, making his knees shake. Only one step was taken before he gripped at Aeliran's arm, trying to keep balance.

"It might be better for you to get some rest; y'know, that wound could open up again if you strain too hard," Mylin informed him, offering his other arm to help the younger hedgehog stabilize.

Together with Aeliran and Mylin's help he reached the bed, half-collapsing on top of it and bringing the sheets up to his neck. The fabric felt nice against the bare beige skin over his chest (healing never grew back the fur, to his dislike) and he spent no time at all getting ready to drift off once again.

"I'll stay outside, if you need anything."

Cinos was about to say something in protest, knowing that Aeliran didn't just do things like that out of the goodness of his heart. He also knew that Aeliran would have seen right through him, which would mean he would come in and ask him until he confessed. Oh boy, he was screwed now… He watched them all leave, pretending to drift off to sleep, but as soon as the door closed, he was instantly wide-awake. The emptiness was keeping him awake, eating away at his very soul. Something told him he had made a terrible mistake but he couldn't think what. He rolled onto his stomach, a horrible thought catching him just before he went back to sleep.

'_What if this split wasn't right for me after all?'_

* * *

The copper-furred one was slowly lifted from the hard chair, his head still dully throbbing. The metal chains that had once dug into his wrists hung down from where that strange porcupine had unlocked them, dull and barely glinting in the lantern's light. He felt gentle hands under him, raising him easily up away from the harsh glare of that same lantern. The side of his face was pressed to a muscular chest, soft white fur running over it. It felt nice, to be treated like a child and not a rogue anymore. Then he realised. He was _letting_ his captor touch and look after him. He tried to struggle, but it only resulted in the porcupine tightening his grip on him.

"Shh…" the porcupine tried to quieten him, as if he was upset about something and required being shushed.

The golden eyes closed under heavy lids for a second, trying to shake off the awful sickly feeling as his head swam; it quickly disappeared as he felt fingers running through unnaturally fine fur. It felt nice on his scarred skin and he allowed it. Not like he had a choice, but still, it was allowed. Slowly, the porcupine began to move off into the darkness. He tensed, hating the obscurity of the room; it reminded him too much of what and who he was, something he was still trying to forget. Eyes averted to their cat-like state, but still barely made out a door through the sea of black.

All the same, they reached that same door and his eyes snapped back into focus as the porcupine banged on it once. A muffled squeak came to his ears, right after a sound of a latch clicking open before light flooded out. Golden eyes squinted, the quick contrast from light to dark making his pupils expand dramatically. All he saw was a small mouse-like Mobian, enormous ears folded and his eyes on the floor. Not very intimidating, and looking at the pitiful creature he relaxed slightly. For a bodyguard, it was reassuring he wouldn't be killed.

After the mouse-creature had bowed once and raced off down the corridor to his left, the porcupine began walking again. He soon got used to the motion of the powerful strides. Left, right, left, right, left. Even the unnamed creature's breathing could be heard down the silent corridor. That was another thing that rattled him; the silence seemed so quiet that t was pressing down against his ears, making him feel a twinge of claustrophobia now and then. It was forgotten, as they entered a _huge_ room…

This surprised him; never had he expected such a grand and high-tech room to open out from that tiny corridor. Most of it was metal, apart from a clear white dome over the top, much like a mini-sun. It certainly gave off the heat needed, as there were no windows or central heating inside. Mobians were racing all over, most looking fearfully at the porcupine and springing into their jobs with double the enthusiasm as before. This puzzled him; why would they act like that around such a kind Mobian? But it hurt to think, so he idly shook his head and let his eyes have a few minutes rest.

And if he were in his right mind would notice how they seemed to stare at him, some with admiration and others with jealousy; he was unaware that he was the first to ever be shown actual affection from the porcupine. Neither did he notice that the same porcupine was gripping onto him tightly, almost possessively, and glaring at each No Level that got too close. No, no one would ruin his plans for his prize.

Soon, they were walking down a much more homey corridor, a burgundy carpet soft and silky to the touch running over the floor, while a central heating system provided them with all the warmth they needed. It felt good on the younger one's body after spending so many nights on the cold streets of so-and-so city. Eyelids lifted once again, noticing right away only two doors not leading off onto another metal corridor. One was solid gold and the other was a charming mahogany colour, making him relax all the more. This didn't remind him of home or the Reserve…

The white one briefly stepped up to the mahogany door, somehow able to open the door just fine with him in his arms. Then walked inside, the grand bedroom of mahogany with golden trappings making itself known immediately. He could only stare, never seeing anything so fancy in his life. This was truly something he had never experienced; sudden amnesia and then being taken in by a caring and rich porcupine that seemed to have a knack in parenting.

Softly, he was laid down on the silk sheets by that same porcupine, feeling the delicate material rub against his fur as if soothing him to sleep. He could feel himself reaching the brink of consciousness; sleep was almost upon him. Someone removed his cloak, the raggedy thing slipping off him easily, revealing his heavily scarred and battered body, and already beginning to heal. Then the porcupine came into view again, briefly moving a hand over his muzzle before moving away.

The orange-eyed one stopped and turned, one hand on the lantern dimly lit on the table near the door..

"Sleep well, my prince, for tomorrow is a big day."

And with that he dimmed the lantern down till it was but a tiny spark, then steps out the door, closing it behind him. His cloak swept fully round him, as he flapped his white wings, a smile beginning to appear on his face.

_'All is going according to plan…'_

* * *

**R + R **

**NO FLAMES**

(very much allergic to second degree burns, you know)


End file.
